[Houdini]

Animated films are awesome and I don't watch enough of them.  Any you peeps dig Manga?  I'm pretty naive about the genre so all tips appreciated.

This is my favourite, C4 aired it yonks ago (3 films over 6 hrs):



The plot concerns a spiritual battle being waged within the capital of Tokyo during the turn of the 20th century. In 1908, Japan is undergoing an enormous process of industrial renovation due the influence of radical western ideals. Technology and politics shift the country's emphasis more and more away from the traditions of the past, with Tokyo being the main center of this radical movement. At the same time, Yamumasa Hirai, an Onmyoji of the Tsuchimikado Family, has been called from Kyoto to Tokyo in order to participate in a secret meeting concerning plans to turn Tokyo into the most commercial and blessed city in all of Japan. Unfortunately, the spirits of the ancient Onmyoji from years past are stirred by all the modernization. There is also a dark curse that hangs over Tokyo left by the spirit of the warlord Taira no Masakado. The two forces culminate together to give life to a spiritual warrior who will take revenge upon those who have forgotten the old traditions of Japan. The result is Yasunori Kato, an evil Onmyoji whose only desire is the complete destruction of Tokyo. Yamumasa Hirai and Kato Yasunori meet, and an enormous spiritual battle is waged between the powers of Light and Dark in the middle of Japan's new capital.


Cool huh?  Scared the crap out of me, which is something films rarely do.  Lots of dark supernatural horror and plenty of old Maoist imagery: a freaky combination.  It's long, but it's the dogs bollox.  Apparently US audience found it overly complex & hard to grasp but the Japanese found it a little shallow (!?).

[SA Chris]

This cropped up in the ...flilms... thread a while back. I like the Miyazaki films, Spirited Away probably being the best of them. I think Belleville Rendezvous is excellent as well.

[Houdini]

Spirited Away

Ah, the lady saw this with a friend couple of days ago and has gushed about it since. But no English subtitles so I didn't see it.  Know any other classics of the genre?

[lorentz]

Spirited Away is excellent. Haven't seen Howl's Moving Castle yet, but heard it's good. Belleville Rendevous was superb. Knew nowt about it, just happened to catch it on telly a few years back. Thought it would be a short, but it just kept going - getting more and more surreal. Fantastic stuff.

Haven't watched enough Manga to consider myself a connisseur, but really enjoyed Akira. Would be interested to hear some more recommendations too.

[jonas]

Disclaimer: I am really clueless about anime.

"Spirited Away" is very good, more of a children's horror tale though.

"Ghost in the shell" is a classic of it's gangre genre (wtf), as well as "Akira". I liked "Ghost in the shell" better.

I have heard good things about "Read or Die", originally a series of Novels about big-tittied Japanese teenage girls with large beautiful eyes. Now as a mini-series in which our heroes are  working for an organization by the name "The Royal British Library's Division of Special Operations", and are trying to find "Unsterbliche Liebe" with Beethoven's secret notes in the marginal, before the super-villians gets hold of it. Haven't found it with sub-titles in a language I can read yet. I figure that will be easier outside Japan.

[SA Chris]

But no English subtitles so I didn't see it.  Know any other classics of the genre?

I've seen Princesss Mononoke and the Valley of the Winds, and have Kiki's Delivery Service at home, but not watched it yet. All Miyazaki.

[moose]

I used to be quite into anime and manga.... not seen any for a while though. 

Like most folk the most recent anime classics that spring to mind are by Miyazaki.  Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are marketed as children's films but are lovely and imaginative enough to ensnare any adult with poetry in their soul.  If you can find them, his earlier films Laputa The Flying Island and Porco Rosso (a pig with a biplane... top stuff) are really good entertainment too (proper Sunday matinee stuff).   I have not seen them myself but the same fella's Steam Boy (set in a sort of alt-Victorian England.. a bit like Gibson/Sterling's The Difference Engine?), My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service have all been highly recommended.

Most supposedly "adult" anime though, whilst visually impressive, is pretty cliched sci-fi fare.  Often displaying a disturbingly widespread fetish involving the molestation of school-girls by tentacled demons.  If that sounds like your bag then try the various Legend of the Overfiend films (Urotsukidoji's)! 

Be prepared though for a lot of anime exalted as "intelligent" and "adult" by its fans to be just a sub-Matrix-esque (yes, that bad!) mish-mash of barely explored ideas with a completely incoherent plot.  Generally with bewildering leaps in narrative and tone.  The latter being bizarrely prevalent in a lot of far-eastern cinema - enormously incongruous sentimentality following utterly hideous violence. 

Hence Akira, whilst positively ancient, is still probably the best in terms of having a decent plot, though even that goes ape-shit towards the end.  The opening bike-chase scene for me still probably ranks as the single best, most kinetic, piece of film I have ever seen.  Just make sure you see the subtitled version - the dubbed one makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Ghost in the Shell was okay - looks good and tries to explore some "big ideas" about the nature of intelligence.  But really it's not great and only sticks out because of the indescribably poor nature of much of the competition (the sequel's pretty poor too).  Other examples I recall liking include 3x3eyes - the growing pains of being a immortal demon girl, Appleseed (not as good as the manga but passable), Dominion Tank Police (comedy future police thingy).. and one with a name I can't recall about a robo-bed for the the elderly that goes a bit mad!

[Carnage]

If you like some weird, fucked up stuff then Legend of Overfiend (only 1, I didn't rate the other much) is good. But like Moose said, lots of tentacle/school girl stuff going on. 

Personally, my favourite is Ninja Scroll, which is awesome anime. I think you can get it on DVD now -Well worth a watch.

And the Vampire Hunter stuff is pretty good too.

[Mike Tyson]

I admit to being a wee bit obsessed with manga whilst younger. Although it may be seen as commercial, the Streetfighter Movie is AWESOME!!!!!

[Moo]

Akire and ghost in the shell are must sees for anyone let alone anime lovers. Ninja scroll is well worth looking up not least for the scary snake chick who would probably get it in a wierd sort of way. Appleseed is good too its a mix of hand drawn and computer generated but looks awesome.

[jonas]

I have heard good things about "Read or Die", originally a series of Novels about big-tittied Japanese teenage girls with large beautiful eyes.

I just saw Episode 1 of "Read or Die" on youtube.com. OMG. bizarre

In the beginning of the episode cloned super-villain and famous French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre-sensei enters Tokyo riding on a grasshopper in hot pursuit of volume one of "Unsterbliche Liebe". From then on it just gets weirder. In New York, our heroes rides an origami paper plane and have a dogfight with cloned German flight pioneer Otto Lilienthal.

[Moo]

What more could you want from a film

[r-man]

Animated films - I love em. If I had any money to buy DVDs, I'd buy only animated films. Not that that's all I watch, but it's all I want to own. Maybe because they seem more well crafted on average, more full of imagination. Maybe because they aren't full of real people trying to be fake real people. I dunno, I just like em.

Brilliant that in recent years animated films have become such a hit. Blockbusters with great scripts, camerawork, plot, characters... You gotta love it.

Have to agree with Moose's Manga comments though - whilst there are some good Manga films, so many of them seem to be enthusiastic rubbish. And lots of them have got so caught up in the genre they seem to be struggling for new ideas.

Akira for instance, supposed to be a classic, but... although motorbikes were good and the whole thing was pretty stylish, I really think you have to buy into the eccentricities of the genre to accept the ending without thinking this is a just a little over the top... I do know someone who will talk endlessly about its brilliance as a coming of age metaphor though, so I guess it's all about suspension of disbelief - my problem is I'm just not sure the film does enough to help the average viewer make the leap.

Some of my favourites (to counterbalance all this hardcore manga stuff):

Kirikou and the Sorceress - Amazing and beautiful animation about a baby saving his village from an evil sorceress. In the same sort of vein as Spirited Away - animation that highlights the magic and wonder in the world it depicts, and a central character who wins the day by having courage in his convictions, and seeing the world through unjaded eyes. But a much more likeable hero. The movie opens with pregant mother stroking her belly. A small voice proclaims "Mother, I am ready to be born." Brilliant.


Check it out here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000VJID4/qid=1118183374/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/026-2401101-0936441

Spirited Away - Like everyone says - inventive and magical.

Toy Story 1 & 2 - Smart and witty and visually appealling.

The Incredibles - Spot on superhero parody with plenty of cool.

Belle Ville Rendevous - Stylish and brilliantly detailed, fantastic visual humour.

The Jungle Book - Wonderful story, great characters, one of the best soundtracks of any film.

The Sword in the Stone - Brilliant adaptation of T.H.White's book, The Once and Future King. Well worth a read if you like that sort of thing.


Land Before Time - Well, haven't watched this for ages, but it was great when I was a kid. Might not stand up to a repeat viewing, but hey, great for kids. Land Before Time 2 to 10, however, should be avoided with increasing amounts of conviction. I watched the first 4.

Lord of the Rings - Much better than the Peter Jackson efforts imho. Atmospheric and epic. Tragically unfinished. All fantasy should be animated - I remain unconvinced that serious fantasy can be convincing with real people - I always end up with a niggling voice in my head saying this is just a wierd costume drama, and why have they all got clean clothes?

Y Mabinogi - Odd little welsh film. Nice artistic style. Tells various stories of Welsh mythology. I'm not familiar enough with the Mabinogi, but I loved what I watched.


More here:
http://www.s4c.co.uk/otherworld/e_index.shtml

Wallace and Grommit - Hey, these are all brilliant, what can I say?

Shrek - Needs a mention. Also good.

__________

Also watched this manga thingy a while ago -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001NIYU4/026-2401101-0936441

3 short stories. Intriguing, though nothing mind-blowing. Only seven quid, mind you...

...Right, that's enough. Time to climb.

[Fiend]

Spirited Away probably being the best of them

Spirited Away is excellent.

"Spirited Away" is very good,

Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are marketed as children's films but are lovely and imaginative enough to ensnare any adult with poetry in their soul.

All I have to say on the matter.

[Houdini]

Lord of the Rings[/b]  Atmospheric and epic.

Top notch.  The wraiths are proper bo.  Lots of things in this film are captured better than in the big one.

[RASTATA]

I realy like The Animatrix. Animated version of Matrix but way way better then original one. 5 or 6 diferent stories and each one is made in diferent technique.

[SA Chris]

Animated version of Matrix

Surely Animated Films loosely related to The Matrix, rather than a version of it? Some of them are excellent, but I thought some were pretty poor.

You have reminded me of the animated versions of Star Wars Films, if anyone has never seen them. Dude.  http://www.dudestudios.com/cartoons.htm

[r-man]

Spirited Away probably being the best of them

Spirited Away is excellent.

"Spirited Away" is very good,

Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are marketed as children's films but are lovely and imaginative enough to ensnare any adult with poetry in their soul.

All I have to say on the matter.

Yes it's great, but personally I enjoyed Kirikou and the Sorceress more. If the final quote sums up what you like about SA, then check out Kirikou...

[Andy F]

You have reminded me of the animated versions of Star Wars Films, if anyone has never seen them. Dude.  http://www.dudestudios.com/cartoons.htm

Awesome dude 

[Houdini]

Good piece about adult-orientated animated film in today'sGrauniad

"Everything I used to do in my old movies that required hundreds of people and huge salaries is now done in a box. It took 250 people to make Heavy Traffic, now I'm down to five. I kiss the computer every morning - fuckin' unbelievable!"

Just ripped A Scanner Darkly.

[Andy F]

Film 4 are showing cool stuff at arounf 5pm everyday this week. Catch it if you can. See: http://www.filmfour.co.uk/ for details.

[Paz]

"Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days."

I don't care dammit, this is important!

I feel it is high time I brought Samurai Champloo to your attention.  You download merchants should be able to find it.  It's one of these things that is so good I wondered if it was recommended already on here years before I discovered it. 

Oh, and not only are 'manga films' anime, but apparently Transformers were anime - did the toys or the cartoon come first? does anyone still have their optimus prime?

[SA Chris]

No, and it's probably wrong to admit it, but I think the CGI in the new transformers film looks great. Although I suspect I will be going to see it alone, and be the only person over 30 in the cinema.

[GCW]

does anyone still have their optimus prime?

 

[moose]

No, and it's probably wrong to admit it, but I think the CGI in the new transformers film looks great. Although I suspect I will be going to see it alone, and be the only person over 30 in the cinema.

Don't worry - all of the excited interest I've heard seems to be from thirty-something nostalgics (a bit like for the Phantom Menace etc).  The main embarrassment won't be that you are alone and old, it'll be from sharing space with grown-men literally dribbling with rage that Prowl transforms into the wrong type of car etc.  Never really got into the transformers (as my mum and dad would never buy me any of the toys... probably wise) so the new film is of bugger all interest.... but a Battle of the Planets or Mysterious Cities of Gold movie.... now you're talking!

[SA Chris]

I was never really into Transformers either, just at topside of target audience, but was impressed by CGI in trailer when i went to see Oceans 13, which is utter cack (was free though).

[Paz]

There's a new Transformers film?  Wicked.  There already was a Tranformers feature length cartoon, is it a remake of that ;-).

[andy_e]

The new transformers film looks a bit shit, but that could be to do with the lack of cheese-metal in the trailer. Please let there be cheese-metal in the film!

[dr blowfin]

http://www.afrosamurai.info/

highly recommend the above, super stylish violent manga - the title sums it up.
got a wicked soundtrack by the RZA too

[Plattsy]

Here's Empires guide to who's in and out of the transformers movie. Biggest shock I think is no Soundwave 

http://www.empireonline.com/features/transformers/

[Stubbs]

Transformers Trailer


looks like it could be very cheesy, but the robots look excellent.

[r-man]

Just stumbled across this - Studio Ghibli's latest film, Tales from Earthsea is in the cinemas right now!

I have a nagging feeling that it might not be as good as I want it to be though... I have fond memories of the books and some reviews suggest that this film is a bit of a mish-mash (less of a problem if you haven't read the books)...

http://www.talesfromearthseamovie.co.uk/

Anyone seen this already? I'd love to hear it was worth going to.

[SA Chris]

I saw it was out, nice to see it on a big screen. I notice it says a film by Goro Miyazaki, while all the previous ones have been by Hayao Miyazaki. I wonder what the deal is?

[r-man]

There were several mentions of that in the reviews - I think Goro is Hayao's son (though I could be getting mixed up, it was late at night when I happened across this).

[Paz]

New Ghibli.  Yay. 

I saw the old transrormers on ITV4 and it was even better than I remembered

[unclesomebody]

All Studio Ghibli films are currently £5.99 or less at HMV. Hope this helps someone.

[SA Chris]

http://www.find-dvd.co.uk/

Worth checking here first to see if it's cheaper elsewhere, although HMV often is.

[jwi]

Just stumbled across this - Studio Ghibli's latest film, Tales from Earthsea is in the cinemas right now!

I have a nagging feeling that it might not be as good as I want it to be though... I have fond memories of the books and some reviews suggest that this film is a bit of a mish-mash (less of a problem if you haven't read the books)...

http://www.talesfromearthseamovie.co.uk/

Anyone seen this already? I'd love to hear it was worth going to.

I saw the first half of it yesterday, and unfortunately I've to tell you it's not very good. Actually it is crap AFAIK. If the second half is absolutely gobsmackingly awesome it's still a so-so movie. It opened to bad reviews over here in anime-land, and everyone I know who have seen it (OK not that many) is dissapointed as well..

[Andy F]

No, and it's probably wrong to admit it, but I think the CGI in the new transformers film looks great. Although I suspect I will be going to see it alone, and be the only person over 30 in the cinema.

but a Battle of the Planets or Mysterious Cities of Gold movie.... now you're talking!

Now a Thundercats movie would be something to get excited about.

[SA Chris]

Did you have the hots for Cheetara too?



Grrrrrrr

[Paz]

I'm fed up of having to justify why I never fancied any female cartoon characters as a kid. Did all you people who go on about this all the time go to private boys only boarding schools when you were young? ;-).  Apart from being more interested in the plot at the time, actual girls were much nicer.

[Houdini]

Just a couple more downloads from grabbing Mamoru Oshii's Japanese-only manga called Tenshi No Tamago/(trans.) Angel's Egg.  Anyone seen this?

[Zods Beard]

Check Golgoi 13 for anime assassin action.

Afro-samurai is worth checking, soundtrack by the RZA and Samuel L Jackson as the hero:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465316/

[Moo]

zod knows the way afro samurai is awesome one of the best western style animes i think,

[Houdini]

[robertostallioni]

Twisted fuck. I preferred when he did Morph.

[butters]

Not much to add to this apart from a firm recommendation to check out The Little Ninja - top animation!

bluebrad

[Falling Down]

zod knows the way afro samurai is awesome one of the best western style animes i think,

Mrs FD bought me the box set for Christmas and I concur. There's a second series on the way by all accounts.

[robertostallioni]

This will come out on the xbox 360 march 20th...AfroSamurai